Other books that might interest you

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  Owning the Sun - A People's...

  Alexander Zaitchik

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  Owning the Sun tells the story of one of the most contentious fights in human history: the legal right to control the production of lifesaving medicines. Medical science began as a discipline geared toward the betterment of all human life, but the merging of research with intellectual property and the rise of the pharmaceutical industry warped and eventually undermined its ethical foundations. Why does the US government fund the development of medical science in the name of the public, only to relinquish exclusive rights to drug companies, and how does such a system impoverish us, weaken our responses to global crises, and, as in the case of AIDS and COVID-19, put the world at risk? Outlining how generations of public health and science advocates have attempted to hold the line against Big Pharma and their allies in government, Alexander Zaitchik's first-in-kind history documents the rise of medical monopoly in the United States and its subsequent globalization. From the controversial arrival of patent-wielding German drug firms in the late nineteenth century, to present-day coordination between industry and philanthropic organizations—including the influential Gates Foundation—that stymie international efforts to vaccinate the world against COVID-19, Owning the Sun tells one of the most important and least understood histories of our time.

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  More Than Honey - The Survival...

  Claus-Peter Lieckfeld, Markus...

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  The acclaimed director shares a gorgeously photographed and “wonderfully thorough immersion in the world of bees and beekeeping” (Rowan Jacobsen, author of Fruitless Fall). The saying goes that without bees, humankind would only survive for four more years; these crucial pollinators are, indeed, worth more than honey. In his award-winning documentary More Than Honey, Markus Imhoof introduced audiences to the fascinating world of bees and the perils of Colony Collapse Disorder. Now Imhoof joins with nature writer Claus-Peter Lieckfeld to go deeper into the complex relationship between bees and humans. This book examines the history and current status of our relationship to and reliance on bees while exposing the human behaviors contributing to the decline of the bee population—a decline that could ultimately contribute directly to a world food problem. Illustrated with jaw-droppingly detailed photos of bees, More Than Honey is a fascinating, accessible overview of a species that is inextricably tied to our survival.

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  The Yoga of Time Travel - How...

  Fred Alan Wolf

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  Time travel is not just science fiction; it may actually be possible. Wolf draws on yoga and quantum physics to show that time is a flexible projection of mind. Cheating time, he says, is an ancient metaphysical idea from the Vedas having to do with moving through meditation to a place where time stands still.

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  The Wall-Less Rooms Of Nature...

  Patrice Vecchione

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  Nature and art share the quality of perseverance and optimism. Vecchione illustrates this when she says, “Art is optimistic. No matter what emotions a piece of art may convey, art-making itself is a refusal to be plowed under by doubt, political systems, poverty or any number of other things.” She goes on to point out that nature shares those same qualities. “Determined plants push up between the slivery cracks in the concrete, making their leafy way to the light where they thrive. If nature is curtailed in one way, it does it’s best to find another. Over and over again.” She describes how the act of being in nature expanded her imagination, which made the act of doing art more meaningful. When our creative spirit is in touch with the natural world, the boundaries and walls are removed. She believes that encouraging creativity requires both structure and the freedom to imagine. As she points out, “The imagination wants to grow by its very nature and the same is true with nature. If water comes to a wall, it doesn’t pack up its bag and say forget about it. Water finds a way around. Imagination does the same thing. They’re both life sustaining, life-giving aspects of this planet.” Nature, she says, offers us a perfect place to daydream. Vecchione also explains how she and others help to preserve and care for a little bit of the earth, and how we can all do the same. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

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  The Book of Times - From Seconds...

  Lesley Alderman

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  “Clever and entertaining . . . contains everything you’d want to know about the ticking away of seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, decades and centuries.” —Time.com 
   
  Our relationship to time is complex and paradoxical: Time stands still. Time also flies. Tomorrow is another day. Yet there’s no time like the present. We want to do more in less time, but wish we could slow the clock. And despite all our time-saving devices—smart phones, AI, high-speed trains—Americans feel that they have less leisure time than ever. 
   
  In an era when our time feels fractured and imperiled, The Book of Times encourages readers to ponder time used and time spent. How long does it take to find a new mate, digest a hamburger, or compose a symphony? How much time do we spend daydreaming, texting, and getting ready for work? The book challenges our beliefs and urges us to consider how, and why, some things get faster, some things slow down, and some things never change (the need for seven to eight hours of sleep). 
   
  Packed with compelling charts, lists, and quizzes, as well as new and intriguing research, The Book of Times is an addictive, browsable, and provocative look at the idea of time from every direction. 
   
  “Alderman’s greatest achievement is the continual delivery of quirky knowledge that our collective curiosities crave.” —Forbes 
   
  “Fascinated by how we spend—and waste—our most precious commodity, journalist Lesley Alderman gathered the sometimes-surprising stats for her debut, The Book of Times.” —People 
   
  “A fascinating foray into familiar terrain and a revealing look at how we really spend our lives.” —Mental Floss

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  Frankforce and the Defence of...

  Jerry Murland

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  There is no other city in France that has the same associations in time of conflict that the British have with Arras. Since the campaigns of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in the early 18th century, British soldiers have fought in and around Arras, occasionally as an enemy but, more often, as defenders of French and Allied democracy. Battlefield visitors to the area will immediately recognize the names of towns and villages that were as significant to the men of Marlboroughs army as they were to those who fought in the First and Second World Wars.This book serves both as guide to the Second World War battlefields that surround the city and its environs as well as detailing the actions of the British armored attack of 21 May 1940. The book looks at the strategic situation that led up to the famous Arras counterstroke and, using material that has not been published before, examines the British and German actions between 20 and 23 May. The only Victoria Cross action that took place during this time is looked at in detail; as is the fighting that took place in Arras and during the breakout.Despite its shortcomings, the counterstroke achieved the essential element of surprise and caused widespread alarm amongst the German command and hit Rommels 7th Panzer Division at precisely the moment when his armored units were ahead of the infantry and gunners. The British infantry fought well and both the Durham battalions were fortunate that their commanding officers and senior NCOs were men who had already fought in one conflict and possessed the determination to rally their less experienced junior ranks and fight on regardless. Such was the case with the two tank battalions, although sadly they lost both their commanding officers and over half the tanks that went into the engagement. The attack did enable the British to tighten their hold on Arras  albeit temporarily  and, as is often cited, built doubts in the minds of German High Command as to the speed of their advance and contributed to the subsequent Hitler halt order of 24-27 May.The author has gone to some lengths to track down accounts from those individuals who served in the area during May 1940 and fought the enveloping tide of the German advanceThe book is supported by three car tours, one of which takes the visitor along the tragic path taken by the Tyneside Scottish on 20 May and two walking routes, which concentrate on Arras.137 black and white photographs (integrated) and a number of maps derived from regimental histories; and six tour maps provide the battlefield visitor with illustrations of the battlefields as they were in 1940 and as they are today.

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